Service indicator



H. scHlRoKAuER SERVICE INDICATOR Fild oct. 17, 1945 Feb. 10,' y1948.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 i60/y .Seli/Trad' over,

Patented Feb. 1o, 194s SERVICE INDICATOR,

Henry Schirokauer. New York, N. Y., now by change of name Henry Allany Sherwood Application October 17, i945, Serial No. 622,741 y -This invention relates to a device for opening and closing an electric circuit and causing reciprocation of a device by the circuit. It may be especially useful for installation on an automobile to aid the operator in knowingl when certain attentions should be given to the automobile and its parts to keep it in proper running order. It may be desirable to supply oil to the motor periodically; it may be desirable to inspect and add water to the battery to make other similar service operations. To this end cards may be provided bearing legends indicating to the operator that the time has come for performing the service operations. These cards may be brought to the attention ci the operator at the proper times. 'ilo this end the invention contemplates putting such cards in a closed box in such position that when the box is opened the cards will be visible and attract the attention of the operator. A convenient place to put the cards may be at'the rear sight mirror. The time for display of the cards may be controlled by some such device as a loi-metallic thermal element which may be heated by current from the automobile generator when the engine is operating.. This may be arranged to open yand shut its own circuit as it heats and cools and thus after a certain time of motor operation may cause a cover or concealing member on the boato be displaced to disclose to view the indicator cards.

One form the invention may take is disclosed in the accompanying drawings in which Figure iL is a front elevation of the device. Fis. 2 is a top plan view. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section on the line 3-3 ci' Figi 2. Fie. 4- is a rear elevation with the rear frame cover removed. Fig. 5 a fragmentary detail of a portion of the mechanism.

At the rear of a rear sight mirror 5 placed before the driver of an automobile may be a box or receptacle in which may be carried cards l having various legends 8 especially toward their top edges which may project above the edge of the mirror and be conspicuously visible to the operator of the automobile as indicated in Fig. l. A cover o is biased to open position shown in full lines in Fig. 1. by a spring lo and provided with a catch ii to hold it in closed position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 so as to cover and conceal the cards l'. A latch i2 carried on the front of an inner wall I3 engages the catch Il.

Mounted on the rear side o1' the wall la may be a switch contact I 4 carried by a more or less Claims. (Cl. 177-311) contact member i8 carried by a resilient strip 2l which is shown within the arms of a resilient strip 26 which carries a lug 2l connected by l coil spring 28 with the end oi the strip t5 (see Fig. 5). Here may also be provided a stopping strip 2S which is'mounted in an insulating block 30 which also holds the strips i5. t5. and 25 so that they are insulated from each other. A bimetallic element it :may be provided with e coil il@ and have on its end an adjustable lug 3l to engage the lug 2l.

With the apparatus in the normal or not openating position shown in Fig. 4 current will flow from the generator oi an automobile (not shown) throughthe connections 32, when the motor is operating, through the strip it. the contacts il and it, the strip 25 and the coil t@ thus heating the bimetallic element i8 which curves or bends so as to press downwardly the lug` 3i carried by it. This movement causes the point where the spring 28 is connected to the strip 2G to come below the end of the strip 25 and at the same time compresses the spring 23 between its two connecting points. Thus the expanding torce oi' the spring 28 forces up the end oi the strip 35 and opens the circuit by forcing apart the contacts i4 and i6. Current thus ceases to flow through the coil 3Q and the bimetallic element resumes the position shown in Fig. 4, allowing the lug t1 to be restored to its normal position t0 put the pressure ci the spring 28 downward on the end of the strip titto close the contacts it and i6 and start a new heating and moving operation. Thus there is a repeated upward and downward movement to the end o the birnetallic element.

rigid member I8 which cooperates witha switch 55 Also carried by the bimetaiiic member it is a pawl i9 which on the downward movement of the member i8 engages the ratchet wheel 2t and moves it step by step. The shaft ci the wheel 20 carries a toothed wheel 2i engaging and driv ing a second toothed wheel it which carries a preferably exible arm 23 arranged as the gear 22 rotates to rise under and lift a pin 2d on a springheld pivoted arm t5 carrying the latch i2 which thus moves and releases the cover 9 to open and expose the cards l.

The exposed card may then. he seen and re moved and the indicated service attended to. The cards may be variously inscribed or printed so as to give the desired service instructions. When the motor has run a certain time it may be desired to change the oil while after it has run a. further amount other services may be after each exposure so as to put at the iront of the pack the card bearing the instruction warn ing next needed. The device is thus controlled by current from the automobile generator and expose the instruction cards after appropriate periods of generator operation. t,

The specic details oi mechanism are not essential to the invention which may be embodied in other arrangements oiappropriate apparatus .for the same or other purposes.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an automobile service indicator. a bime v needed and the cards may be properly arranged Y and mounted behind the rear sight mirror. a

switch in the circuit opened by movement of the strip when it becomes heated and closed when it becomes cool, a closed pocket containing service indicating cards behind theinirror, and means actuated step by step by the strip for exposing the cards.

3. 1n a service indicatori a bimetallic thermal strip heated by an electric circuit, 'a switch in the circuit opened by movement of the stripl when it becomes heated and closed `when it becomes cool, apoclret containing service indicating cards, a cover for the pocket. a spring for opening the cover, a loci: for holding the cover closed. and

means actuated step by step by the strip for red@ leasing the lock.

4. In a, service indicator. a bimetallio thermal strip, an electric circuit tor heating the strip. a switch in the circuit opened by movement of the strip when it becomes heated and closed when it becomes cool, a pawl carried by the strip and moving when the strip becomes heated. a toothed wheel engaged by and moved by the paivl, a pocket containing service indicating cards, a cover forthe pocket, a spring for opening the cover, a iock for holding the cover closed, and means actuated by thewheel for releasing the lock.

5. In an automobile service indicator, a bimetallic thermal strip heated by an electric circuit and mounted behind the rear sight mirror, a switch in the circuit opened by movement of the strip when it becomes heated and closed when it becomes cool, a kpocket behind the rear sight mirror, service indicating cards in the pocket, and

means actuated step by step by the bimetailic strip for exposing a card.

6. In a service indicator, a bimetailic thermal strip heated by an electric circuit, axrlswitch in the circuit opened by movement of the strip when it becomes heated and closed when it becomes c'ooi, a pocket, service indicating cards in the pocket, spring means for exposing a card, and means acy tuated step by step by the bimetallic strip for re leasing the spring for operation.

HENRY SC :mc-1

REFERENQES @FEED The foliowing references are of record in the le of this patent:

Um STATES PATENTS 

